CHICAGO — More than 40 independent bookstores across the Chicago region are participating in a sprawling “book crawl” Saturday where shoppers can win prizes, attend special readings and earn discounts if they visit enough locations.
Since 2018, the Chicagoland Bookstore Crawl, which coincides with the annual Independent Bookstore Day, has encouraged book lovers to support as many local shops as possible in one single day.
Forty-six bookstores across the city and suburbs are participating this year, with many featuring unique giveaways, raffles and other events.
To sweeten the deal, shoppers can earn discounts if they visit enough locations on Saturday. If people stop by 10 stores, they’ll receive 10 percent off of purchases for the next year at all participating bookstores. If they hit 15 stores, they’ll get 15 percent off.
Participants can pick up a book crawl “passport” at their first stop of the day and get it stamped at each location. No purchase is necessary to get a stamp, although organizers hope participants buy books or other items for sale along the way.
The 2024 Chicagoland Bookstore Crawl could be the event’s biggest so far. The crawl has grown exponentially every year, said Volumes Bookcafe co-owner Rebecca George, who is one of the event’s organizers.
“Last year we had over 700 people complete the 10 store and almost 200 hit the 15 store mark, with thousands jumping in to make it to just a few,” George said.
There will also be unique items for sale at specific stores, including prints from local collage maker and artist Tony Fitzpatrick and a poem from poet Eve Ewing at Chicago locations. All proceeds from special merchandise will support the bookstores plus a charity of their choice that’s working with migrants.
A map of participating stores and more details can be found here.
This year’s book crawl is the first since Barnes & Noble announced it was opening a store in Wicker Park, just a few blocks away from Volumes and even closer to other neighborhood bookstores.
As George’s store and others like it continue to compete with big corporate brands plus Amazon and other online sellers, she stressed that it’s all the more important to shop local.
“There’s a reason we celebrate independent bookstore day and not corporate bookstore day, because of the impact that independent bookstores have on their community and the relationship that they have with their community,” George said. “We encourage readers to explore bookstores they’ve never been to before and to show their support.”
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